Rental Housing Inspection Program

About the Program

The Rental Housing Inspection Program (RHIP) was designed to inspect all residential rental properties within the unincorporated area of Sacramento County on a routine and comprehensive basis to assure the overall quality of the rental unit meets the requirements of the Health and Safety Code. This includes educating property owners, property managers and tenants about those requirements. Refer to the checklist on How to Comply with the Rental Housing Inspection Program.

Each rental property is required to be registered with the program. Properties not registered are subject to administrative penalties. The Sacramento County Code 16.20.900 allows for property owners that meet the minimum requirements to self-certify their properties. The property owner can request inspections be done by Code Enforcement. Cost recovery fees may be applied when violations are found. Some properties are exempt from the inspection portion of the program and owners should complete the RHIP Application for Exemption Waiver Form; provide proof of exemption; and complete the RHIP Registration Form online.

What to Expect

Do You Have Rental Property in Sacramento County? Learn what to expect for the first steps of the Sacramento County Rental Property Audit Process.

Property owners approved for self-certificationProperty owners are subject to random audits by Code Enforcement. The property owner and manager (if applicable) will be notified of the inspection date and timeframe when selected for an audit. Required documentation must be available for review at the scheduled time. An exterior inspection of the property will also be done, and if necessary, a random unit inspection will occur. Based on the audit inspection findings the property will either be “Cycle Completed” or be referred for a property inspection.

Property owners without self-certificationProperty owners and managers (if applicable) will be notified by letter advising of the scheduled inspection date, which will occur a minimum of 14 days from the date of the letter, unless there are priority violations found. If the property is a multi-family property, a secondary notice may be posted at the site to inform tenants of the upcoming inspection. Properties not meeting the minimum health and safety code requirements will be given a Notice of Violation and a correction date for re-inspection to ensure compliance. Cost recovery fees are applied when violations are found.

How to Register

If the property is already registered and the information on file is no longer accurate, you must complete a Registration Form.

Fees

Annually, the required Rental Housing Code Compliance (RHCC) fee is assessed as part of the County Utility Bill. The fee is $16.00 per rental unit, per year and normally part of the first utility bill of the year. If your property is no longer a rental unit or you are being billed incorrectly, complete the
Correction to Rental Billing Form and submit it to the County Utility Billing department.

Training

As part of the Rental Housing Inspection Program, the Rental Housing Association provides a County approved Self-Certification training course that is required for all persons conducting their own inspections on behalf of the property owner. At the end of the course the attendee is given a certification that is valid for 5 years.
Learn more about the training course.

Sacramento County Fair Housing Resources

Tenants and landlords seeking help with disputes, legal advice or other housing related information and regulations can find helpful resources at
Sacramento County’s Fair Housing web portal. Fair Housing laws include the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords, and also prohibit certain forms of discrimination in the sale and rental of housing.